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The living evidence base for romance scam research

Find the studies, inspect the evidence, understand what is known, and see the questions that still need answers.

We do not host documents. All items link to publisher or repository pages.

Research corpus at a glance

Approved publications
228
Living syntheses
7
Quality-cleared synopses
228
Corpus updated

How RSRC Uses AI

AI helps RSRC organize and summarize research. Outputs may contain errors; verify findings in the linked original source.

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See what the evidence says

Read living syntheses that connect findings across publications and identify uncertainties and research gaps.

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Research Insights

Synthesis and analysis across the corpus

Corpus-level findings that connect evidence across multiple publications and make uncertainties and research gaps visible.

Living Evidence Synthesis

Attack Methods and Offender Strategies

Attack Methods and Offender Strategies: How Offenders Identify, Approach, Groom, Deceive, and Exploit Targets

Across the reviewed items, romance-scam cases are presented as staged, scripted operations that begin with an attractive or fabricated profile and progress through a grooming process toward financial extraction. Evidence bases include an analysis of 96 criminal judgments, three c...

Publications:
33
Evidence statements:
315
Read the living evidence synthesis
Living Evidence Synthesis

Prevention and Intervention

Prevention and Intervention for Romance and Relationship-Based Scams: Evidence Synthesis

Across the reviewed evidence, the clearest, best-supported prevention premise is stage-aware intervention: scams commonly follow a progressive grooming trajectory in which rapport and trust are built before money is requested, and recognition triggers (e.g., repeated money reques...

Publications:
20
Evidence statements:
86
Read the living evidence synthesis

Research Library

Recently curated publications

Individual studies and reports recently added to the approved collection.

View 1

Romance Scams

The publication provides a concise, source-grounded overview of online romance scams, tracing their evolution over roughly two decades into a multifaceted cybercrime. It frames romance scams as social-engineering exploit...

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Romance Scam Statistics 2024-2026: verified, source-attributed figures from FBI...

This publication compiles official figures from government and industry sources to describe romance scam activity in 2024–2026, focusing on reported losses and case counts in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia,...

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Cybercrime over Internet Love Scams in Malaysia: A Discussion on the Theoretical...

This publication investigates Internet love scams in Malaysia, aiming to understand the ethical and social dynamics that drive the crime and to discuss potential responses. It frames the issue through four theoretical le...

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Cybercrime through love scams: what women should know?

This publication presents a conceptual study that examines cybercrime through love scams, with a focus on women as a potentially vulnerable group. It situates the issue within broader technological and societal changes,...

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Analysis of Interpersonal Communication Patterns of Love Scams Mode on Social Me...

This publication reports on a qualitative study that examines how love scam dynamics unfold among female students on social media in Medan City. The stated purpose is to determine the pattern of interpersonal communicati...

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Unveiling the Romance Scam Scheme: Psychological Manipulation and Its Impact on...

This publication presents a neutral, source-grounded synopsis of a 2024 literature review that examines romance scam schemes in Japanese society. The authors aim to illuminate how perpetrators manipulate victims and to d...

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What are the real and perceived risks and dangers of online dating? Perspectives...

This publication reports on a qualitative study exploring online daters’ perceptions of risk and actual experiences with online dating. The authors aim to understand what online daters themselves see as risky, and to doc...

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About RSRC

Built to make romance scam research usable

Founded by LD Herrera, PhD, RSRC organizes romance scam scholarship into a searchable public library and living evidence syntheses for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the public.

Learn about RSRC and its founder